Make Your Computer's Password and Tracking Software Play Nice Together

The login password and tracking software you use to secure your computer might be working against each other—the tracking software needs to have internet access, which the password prevents. Here's how to get around that problem.

I lost my computer. I have a password on it, and I also have tracking software. Will the password lock keep the tracking from working?

Your two computer-safety technologiesa login password and tracking softwaremay work against each other. Tracking software, such as Find My Mac for Apple computers and Prey for PCs, Macs, and Linux machines, requires you to be connected to the Internet to work. (Prey is the best option for PCs because it is nearly invisible on your computer, making it hard for thieves to disable.) Unfortunately, your computer won't get online unless you've logged in. So, if you have a password, you're out of luck. But in the future you can plan for the worst with a work-around: Create a limited-access guest account.

First make sure location services are enabled. On a Mac you'll find this in your Privacy setting. Also turn on Find My Mac in the iCloud section of Settings. Then create a guest account without admin access, so that whoever logs in using that account won't have access to your files. As soon as the computer connects to the Internet, you'll be able to see it on a map on icloud.com and erase or lock it.

In Windows, enable location services in PC Settings. If you're using Prey, go to the site to mark your computer as missing. You might have to wait a few hours for the service to send you a digest, which includes the machine's location, along with a photo taken with the built-in camera, and a shot of what's on the screen. Prey will also display an alert on the missing computer that tells the user that the computer has been stolen and provides your email address; you can offer a monetary reward for the machine's return.

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